Gales of Avalon

Latest Gales of Avalon News

Below is our complete Gales of Avalon news coverage, including columns and articles pertaining to the band. Some articles listed may be indirectly related, such as side projects of the band members, etc.

Canadian act Gales of Avalon has posted a new track online titled "The Ocean Ranger," which can be heard at Reverbnation here or in the player available below. The track will appear on the band's upcoming "When the Ravens Return" EP.

Canadian act Gales of Avalon has posted the entire new "Black Island" album online, which can be heard via the band's Reverbnation page. Gales of Avalon also commented on the album's concept:

"The tale of Black Island is the story of two friends Seamus and Braeden, who board a ship set to sail to the new world. The ship is captained by a brash, cocky, and somewhat insane man, who had a story of his very own. The captains story is one of gold, riches, and great fortune on the elusive and mysterious Black Island. Although no one else has ever heard of, nor seen the island. The captain's promises of gold, riches, and fortune slowly turned into hunger, famine and madness. Soon the crew was beginning to think a mutiny was in order, and the captain was cast out into the sea. Seamus looked at Braeden and said that, 'Things will start to get better now' but they did not. The two friends looked up to the heavens only to see blackened clouds overhead. A deaf calm settled over the ship, and then the wind began to blow. A mighty gale was blowing the ship back and forth, over massive waves, and through treacherous ice, until finally she bottomed out on a rock in some shallow water. "Abandon ship!" is yelled all over the deck, as the sailors jump to their icy demise. More...

Calgary's blackened death metal quartet Gales of Avalon has just released their latest video, a 3:30 min. snapshot into their upcoming concept album "Black Island," with the song "Second Sight." Filmed around their hometown of Calgary, Alberta, the video for "Second Sight" was self-produced, and later edited by Gales' guitarist Mark Dillon. Check it out below:

The musicians have been buried in the studio working on their full-length debut, "Black Island." Set for release later this year, the album is a follow-up to 2008's self-titled EP. The band will be performing at the upcoming Tribute to the Women of Alberta Metal in Calgary on Oct. 23, alongside Mares of Thrace, Kobra and the Lotus, and Relapse recording artists Howl.

Calgary's blackened death metal band Gales of Avalon has issued an update on multiple fronts. The band is still in search of a new lead guitarist and is in the process of trying some people out.

The band updates that they've received our mixed and mastered tracks for the forthcoming concept album "Black Island." The album contains rerecorded versions of "Cold Dark Valleys, Final Gale, and Black Ocean Black Island;" as well as 8 brand new songs. No release date is scheduled yet. The band will be playing a lot of shows in the near future to try and raise some money to manufacture the album.

Gales of Avalon has officially released the music video for “Cold Dark Valleys” one of 12 tracks from the band’s full-length debut Black Island.

Directed and edited by Ryan Leininger in the group’s hometown of Calgary, Alta., the new video tells part of the story illustrated through the upcoming concept album.

“It follows two survivors of a boat crash as they make there way across a deserted island. They are both broken and beaten, yet they keep forging on. There may be light at the end of the cold dark valley, there may not be; regardless, on they march,” describes Mark Dillon, guitarist and lead vocalist for the Celtic-influenced, blackened death metal quintet.

The video was originally intended to promote the album, which is being self-funded by the independent band and is still currently in production.

“Because of unexpected set backs, the recording ended up taking longer than we expected,” Dillon explains. “We also added a new member to the band (in September), so we decided that there was no reason to sit on a video that didn't feature the entire band that recorded the new album. We also thought that releasing it now was a good way to show our friends and fans that we are still alive, even through its taking us a long, long time to record a new album.”

Leininger, the visionary behind the video, was a media arts student at Mount Royal College when first approached Gales of Avalon with idea of making a short form video as part of his final project.

“He had access to professional equipment (cameras, lighting, and a sound stage) so it was a no-brainer for a broke band to say ‘yes’ to the opportunity to shoot a video for free,” Dillon laughs.

Shot over two days, filming was split between sound stage recording and on location at Calgary’s Bowness Park, with Sacred Ally guitarist Tyler Gregg, and Calgary drummer Russel Trout filling the lead character roles.

“These scenes were shot in early March, and we made Russ and Tyler wander around in the woods without shoes and wearing torn up clothes. For all there hard work they got paid a dozen beer each!”

The video can be viewed below, or at the band’s official MySpace, where you can stay tuned for the official release date of Black Island.